In the principal aspect, the present invention relates to a pliers construction having first and second manually operable handles pivotally connected to first and second jaws, respectively, wherein alignment of a respective jaw with respect to an associated handle is adjustable.
When servicing a vehicle such as an automobile and, more particularly, when servicing an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, it is often necessary to remove the spark plug wire attached to each spark plug. Typically, the plug wire includes an end connector which fits onto the plug and an insulating boot which fits over the connector of the plug lead wire to the contact end of the plug. The boot protects the plug from corrosion and also provides insulation around the plug contact to prevent inadvertent shock or grounding, for example. When servicing a vehicle, and more particularly when attempting to change spark plugs, it is necessary to effectively and efficiently remove the protective boot from the plug and additionally remove the lead wire connected by the connector to the plug. Often this is accomplished by use of a pliers designed to grip the boot and simultaneously or independently grip the lead wire connector. The gripped boot and/or connector may thus be retracted or removed from the contact end of the plug by use of such a pliers.
Various internal combustion engine designs provide various and unique positioning of spark plugs and the lead wires connected to the plugs. Consequently, using a standard pliers having jaws aligned with the handles will not necessarily enable a mechanic or service person to effectively reach and grip a spark plug boot or the lead wire connector which is connected to a spark plug. As a result, it is desirable to have a pliers construction which enables the service person or mechanic to adjust the orientation of the jaws relative to the handles of the pliers. In this manner, the jaws may be appropriately adjusted to thereby enable the mechanic to reach into very tightly constrained or difficult-to-reach positions. The foregoing need, among others, inspired the development of the present invention.